The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 19, 1993
Filed:
May. 13, 1991
Jason S Kim, Los Angeles, CA (US);
AST Research, Inc., Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
An electronic keyboard template for use with software applications programs is responsive to command signals transmitted by designated function keys on a computer keyboard. The template includes an LCD display screen for displaying icons representative of operations performed by the function keys, control circuitry, and driving circuitry for generating the display of the icons on the LCD screen. In a preferred embodiment, the control circuitry includes a microprocesor, a Random-Access-Memory, and a digital Look-Up-Table, and the driving circuitry comprises a matrix driver and a refresh sequencer. The driving circuitry may further include a DC-to-DC convertor, and a plurality of shift registers for energizing pixel locations designated within a grid system on the LCD screen. In an alternative embodiment, the control circuitry may be external to the template (e.g., within the keyboard).